A leading sexologist in Denmark has called for pornography to be shown in the classroom, claiming that starting a debate about the industry could help teenagers become “conscientious and critical consumers” who are able to tell the difference between pornography and the reality of sexual relationships.

Prof Christian Graugaard of Aalborg University caused a furore in Denmark when he suggested on public television that pornography should be shown in schools. This was preferable, he told the Danish public broadcaster DR, to sex education classes that were “boring and technical, where you roll a condom onto a cucumber”.

Graugaard’s proposal is not simply following in the long tradition of sexually permissive Scandinavia. It is, he insists, a sensible way of teaching teenagers that pornography is nothing like real sex.

“My proposal is to critically discuss pornography with 8th and 9th graders [age 15 – the legal age of consent in Denmark – and 16 respectively] as part of a sensible didactic strategy, carried out by trained teachers,” he told the Guardian.

“We know from research that a vast majority of teenagers have seen porn at an early age – so it’s not a question of introducing youngsters to porn,” he added. According to one Nordic study, 99% of boys and 86% of girls in Scandinavia have already seen pornographic films by the time they’re 16. What Graugaard wants is to make sure teens “possess the necessary skills to view porn constructively”.

“We should strengthen their ability to distinguish between the media’s depictions of the body and sex and the everyday life of an average teenager. They should become conscientious and critical consumers.”

Sex education has been mandatory in Denmark since 1970 and pornography is already included in the curriculum in several Danish schools – but not all. “Schools interpret the national guidelines very differently,” says Graugaard. “So it’s important that education meets certain quality standards all over the country, that teachers are well trained and that up-to-date methods are constantly developed. Right now, Denmark is a developing country with regard to the methodology of sex education, and this should be changed.”

Denmark was the first country in the world to lift the ban on pornography in 1967. “Porn may actually offer a variety of both entertaining and educational properties,” Graugaard said. “Porn can even be feminist and in some cases it can be part of a democratisation of sex and [it can] promote diversity. But it can also be excluding – of body types, gender and sexuality. We want our kids to have exciting and gratifying sex lives, so an open-minded, constructive dialogue is the best way to make sure that they are able to make meaningful decisions for themselves.”

He added: “It’s not our job to scare off teenagers, rather we should encourage them to explore the joys of sexuality in a safe way and on their own terms – instead of turning our backs on them.”